The ABC News Breakfast team has playfully fact-checked US late-night host John Oliver after the comedian claimed he had come into possession of presenter Tony Armstrong’s scarf.
The sports correspondent’s scarf was famously swiped when he celebrated the Socceroos’ qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which is underway in Qatar.
Armstrong didn’t hold back live on air, jumping up and down with supporters in Melbourne’s Federation Square, screaming: “Yeah, we’re through, we’re through to the World Cup!”
But one supporter got a little too carried away, snatching the presenter’s treasured scarf, which was hand-knitted by his mum.
“He got me scarf! That’s me mum’s!” Armstrong is heard shrieking as he descended into the crowd.
He eventually did return to the cameraman, with his scarf in-hand.
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But when Oliver shared the viral clip with his Last Week Tonight audience, he attempted to rewrite history.
“There is nothing not to love about that,” Oliver said of the clip.
“From the reporter holding up his microphone to amplify peoples’ joy-shrieking, to the guy kissing the camera, to someone stealing his scarf which, sadly, he never got back.
“And the reason I know that is, I have it now,” said Oliver, holding up a knock-off remake.
The ABC News Breakfast team jokingly called out Oliver on Tuesday morning.
“Clearly, John Oliver is a great comedian and great presenter,” said host Michael Rowland.
“He’s also a fraud. I think he’s making up that story about him having Tony’s mum’s scarf, because,” said Rowland, turning to the side of the couch.
The camera then pans to Armstrong, who is wearing his scarf and raising his hands in disbelief.
“Here it is!” Armstrong said.
“Did you notice how his one wasn’t as good quality as this one?
“I thought it was shorter,” said host Lisa Millar.
Armstrong addressed the viral moment in a recent podcast with music duo Peking Duck.
“The two things that people know me the best for are probably for me f–king losing the plot,” said Armstrong.
“After the soccer … I just did everything wrong from a journalistic standpoint. I just started screaming. And then I stopped broadcasting because I went chasing my mum’s scarf.”
The other moment, Armstrong said, was when he accidentally said “bulging d–k” instead of “bulging disc” when discussing a cricket player’s injury on-air.
Despite the on-air shenanigans, Armstrong won the Outstanding Newcomer award at the 2022 Logies.
‘Send us your banana’
This isn’t the first time Oliver has covered viral stories in Australia on his show.
Earlier this year, he offered to buy a now-infamous banana statue from Yarra Council.
Entitled Fallen Fruit, the 180-centimetre banana statue with a skull face appeared in Fitzroy 2021.
The banana was almost immediately divisive, splitting public opinion and being attacked by a ruthless vandal just weeks after it went on display.
In return for the statue, Oliver said he would donate $10,000 to a local food bank and $5000 to the John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward – cheekily named by Aussie actor Russell Crowe.
He also offered to send over a statue of his own, of an alligator giving the middle finger.
But the council politely turned down Oliver’s request, with Mayor Sophia Wade saying they’re “not ready to part with it just yet”.
